Chapter 113
The moment the figure reached for both of them, the space didn't break outward the way Kael had expected. It folded inward instead, tightening until the distance between him, Ariana, and the presence ahead no longer felt real. What had once separated them now felt shared, and that shift alone made it harder for him to stay grounded.
Kael felt the connection change immediately, not as pressure, but as something aligning differently. His wolf rose again, not in defense, but in awareness, steady in a way that felt more controlled than instinct. It didn't fight what was happening, but it didn't give in either, and that balance kept him steady.
Ariana felt it too. Her grip tightened around his, not pulling him away, but holding him there as the presence pressed closer in a way that included her instead of separating them. "It's not just you anymore," she said, her voice quiet but clear.
